German Backpacker Rescued in WA Outback After 11-Day Ordeal

A German backpacker, Carolina Wilga, was rescued after being lost in the West Australian outback for almost two weeks. She was found walking on a bush track and was described as distressed, exhausted, dehydrated, and hungry. Wilga remains in a stable condition at Fiona Stanley Hospital and will receive support for her ordeal. Police confirmed that the vehicle she was traveling in experienced mechanical failures, and she had left the car to seek help.

Title: German Backpacker Found Alive After Two-Week Stint in Australian Outback

July 2, 2025 — A German backpacker, Carolina Wilga, was rescued after being lost in the West Australian outback for nearly two weeks. She was found walking on a bush track and was described as distressed, exhausted, dehydrated, and hungry. Wilga remains in a stable condition at Fiona Stanley Hospital and will receive support for her ordeal.

Wilga, a 26-year-old from Germany, had been traveling around Australia for the past two years. Her last known sighting was on June 29, when she was seen at a general store in the small town of Beacon, 200 miles northeast of the Western Australia state capital Perth. She departed the area around five minutes later and has not been heard from since.

On July 11, 2025, police confirmed that Wilga's abandoned vehicle had been found in the Karroun Hill area, in the north-east Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. The vehicle, a 1995 Mitsubishi Delica Star Wagon, was believed to have suffered mechanical issues. Wilga was discovered by a member of the public walking on a bush track at the edge of the Karroun Hill Nature Reserve.

Inspector Martin Glynn of the Western Australia Police Force stated that Wilga had been found in a "fragile" state but with no serious injuries. She was flown to a hospital in Perth for treatment. Glynn noted that the terrain in the area is extremely challenging and that Wilga had coped in "amazing conditions."

Wilga's family has been notified of her safe return. She is expected to remain in the hospital for further medical attention and support. The exact circumstances surrounding her disappearance and rescue are still under investigation, but it is believed that mechanical issues with her vehicle led to her becoming stranded in the remote outback.

[1] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carolina-wilga-german-backpacker-found-australia-missing-12-days-outback/
[2] https://people.com/backpacker-carolina-wilga-found-alive-missing-12-days-australian-outback-11770323
[3] https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/wa-police-give-update-on-search-for-missing-german-backpacker-carolina-wilga/news-story/f8b10afcadaba888f42f153d0b60b75c